


Puppy Piles

by canary_blues



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Healing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-09 22:50:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4367273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canary_blues/pseuds/canary_blues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is in rough shape when they find him. It takes about a week for Sam to come up with, what he feels, is an ingenious idea. So Steve gets him a therapy dog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's probably a good idea

**Author's Note:**

> For my lovely Maddie. Happy birthday, my daffodil. I hope your day is enjoyable, have a drink for me.

They find Bucky in less than stellar shape. There's only a marginal improvement regarding his attitude fourteen hours later when they're setting him up in a room at Stark tower. A room that is very tastefully done up in a minimalistic style that screams of Pepper's influence. 

It takes two days for the desk to be broken in half and a hole to appear in the kitchen where a blender was thrown through the wall. Steve hangs a picture over it and thinks Tony won't care about it either way. He doesn't see Bucky that visit, Friday says he's camped out under the bed and has been for the last four hours.

Sam comes by a week later and spends his entire visit stretched out on the floor talking Bucky out from under the bed. He assures Steve that there's been good progress made.

“Have you thought about a therapy animal?” Sam asks while Steve puts groceries away.

“Therapy animal?”

“Yeah, it helps a lot of people with trauma. Having something to care for and focus on, something that isn't judgmental. The companionship helps.”

Steve hums in consideration. “Friday, would Tony allow a pet in the Tower?”

“I'd ask Pepper.” The AI suggests. “Want me to talk to her?”

“If you would.”

Pepper stops by his floor the next day with a list of dogs currently residing in shelters around the area. She makes herself comfortable next to Bucky's huddled form on the couch and starts to go through the options in a way that suggests Steve is looking for a pet. Natasha and Sam promise to accompany him.

The third shelter they go to is crowded and loud with a friendly atmosphere. The girl working the front desk almost chokes on her gum when she sees them but is very professional. She leads them through the rows of kennels and tells them about every dog they pass and slips treats to every one of them. Natasha, who had wandered off, comes back and tells them she's found the perfect pet.

The perfect pet is a gray cat with a face so smooshed in it's nearly concave. It's fur has been shaved except for its head and a tuft at the end of its tail. The cat stares at them with squinty, vaguely threatening eyes.

“Doesn't she remind you of Bucky?” Natasha is smirking as she sticks her fingers into the cage.

Steve is less than amused. Sam has the courtesy to pretend he isn't laughing. The employee politely clears her throat tog et their attention.

“That's Buttercup, her owner moved and left her behind. But, uh, if you're looking for a dog I think I know just the one.”

She leads them to a kennel near the back. Inside was a mutt with a squarish head and mud colored spots splattered on curly golden fur.

“This is S'mores. He's up to date on all his shots, no major health problems but he's missing his right eye.”

Steve reaches into the kennel and pets S'mores. “What's he like? Temperament wise, I mean.”

“He's a total sweetie. Loves cuddles, not too big on running around, real quiet.”

Steve looks up at Sam who smiles encouragingly. “We'll take him.”

The girl looks like she's going to cry she's so happy. When Natasha says she's going to take the cat she actually tears up.


	2. Chapter 2

The floor is quiet when Steve steps off the elevator. S'mores is practically vibrating with excitement next to him and starts sniffing his way around the apartment as soon as the leash is off, bounding off down the hall.

“Bucky?” Steve calls as he sets the pet supplies in the kitchen. “Would you mind coming out? I want you to meet S'mores.”

There's the sound of a door creaking open down the hall followed by a soft thud, presumably S'mores bumping into something. Steve will have to keep an eye on him until he learns where things are, keep his lack of depth perception form getting him hurt. 

Bucky shuffles into the kitchen, S'mores sniffing excitedly at his legs. “You got a dog.”

“Yeah. We talked about it the other day, remember?” Steve tries to find a place to store the dog food. “The lady at the shelter said he'd be a perfect fit for a crazy shut-in.” He catches the barest hints of a smile on Bucky's face.

Friday wakes him up that night to tell him Bucky woke up screaming again. When he gets to Bucky's room he's no where in sight but S'mores is halfway under the bed, tail thumping rhythmically. He can hear Bucky murmuring quietly and watches until S'mores' tail slows to an occasional swish and the room grows silent. 

The next morning Bucky actually joins him for breakfast, S'mores practically glued to his side. He really only picks at the eggs Steve serves him but sitting in the open dining area is better than Steve had hoped for.

“So I have a shift training new recruits today. Would you mind watching S'mores for me?”

Bucky gives him a flat look, one that says he knows exactly what Steve is doing. It's not a no, so Steve grins widely and tosses a piece of bacon to the dog.


	3. Chapter 3

Training is a careful balance of being a complete mess and total synchronization. Today's session leans a little more towards mess than synchronization but Wanda is making great strides in trusting the others to have her back. Natasha has a fine layer of cat hair stuck to her pants which makes Sam laugh so hard he nearly falls out of the sky. There's a ten minute break where Wanda coos over cat pictures on Natasha's phone.

“Pietro and I always wanted a cat.” She smiles at the smooshed face in the photos. “Do you think I could come see her?”

“Of course.”

Steve is happy to know Wanda is settling in and that Vision is adjusting but he goes home exhausted like he hasn't been since the war. When the elevator opens onto his floor he hears music and when he checks the living room he finds Bucky bundled up in a comforter watching Singing in the Rain with S'mores on the cushion next to him.

“Hey.” Steve says it quietly but Bucky still flinches. “I'm gonna take a shower, mind if I join you after?”

Bucky stares at him for a long moment before nodding. When Steve comes back Bucky has shuffled over to give him room and S'mores is spread out like a puddle in the middle. The movies ends without them exchanging a word and Friday starts another musical with a wistful sort of sigh.

“What's it like to dance?” She asks them.

Steve is still caught off guard sometimes by how human Friday is, how human Jarvis was. He tilts his head to the side and considers her question.

“I don't really dance that much.” He admits. “It's nice, I guess. Intimate?”

“I taught you.” Bucky mumbles. “Right?”

“Yeah.” Steve grins at the memory. “You were taller than me then.”

“You kept tripping.” Bucky pulls the blanket tighter. “You were doing it on purpose.”

“That's right. Your sisters were laughing so hard that one of them started crying.” 

“There was a dance. She wanted to go but she didn't know how to dance. We were trying to teach her.” Bucky smiles. “She ended up spending the whole night dancing with Lucy. She had two left feet.”

“Yeah.” Steve laughs. “They were the worst kept secret in town.”

“We-” Bucky swallows thickly. “We danced together that night.”

Steve looks at Bucky, the way he's buried his fingers in the fur on S'mores' scruff and the tense shoulders. He stands up and offers Bucky his hand. “Do you wanna dance now?”

Bucky hesitantly takes his hand and lets himself be pulled up from the couch. They haven't danced since before the serum and it's so odd to be looking down at Bucky when they start to sway, Friday switching off the movie and replacing it with music from when they were kids.

Steve spins them and Bucky looses all the tension in his body. He rests his forehead on Steve's shoulder and lets out a sigh that almost sounds content. Steve presses his cheek to Bucky's hair and hums along to the music.


End file.
